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The Molecular Hub team in Port Moresby.
STRIVE PNG: Stronger surveillance for vector-borne pathogens.

STRIVE: stronger surveillance for vector-borne pathogens

Infectious diseases are an increasing global health threat, especially in low- and middle-income countries. There is an urgent need for continuous monitoring, rapid diagnosis and accurate tracking of infectious disease cases.

The STRIVE project strengthens health systems across Melanesia by supporting local partners to monitor and respond to vector-borne diseases.

Vector-borne diseases are a type of infectious disease transmitted by living organisms (vectors). The vectors carry pathogens such as parasites, viruses or bacteria that infect humans. Mosquitoes are a vector that carry the parasite that causes malaria and many other vector-borne diseases.

STRIVE stands for 'strengthening integrated surveillance and response for vector-borne diseases in Melanesia.' The project aims to:

  • improve surveillance (finding and tracking) of vector-borne diseases and emerging or priority pathogens
  • remove barriers that are making it difficult for healthcare workers to monitor and respond to vector-borne diseases.

STRIVE operates through an explicit partnership-based approach involving joint decision-making, co-design of activities, shared resources and mutual accountability.

Burnet Logo Trademark Presentation (1)
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Scientists working at a laboratory bench.
Serology scientists James and Shannah setting up their first assays at the Papua New Guinea Molecular Hub.
A project member setting up hanging mosquito monitoring traps.
Vector control officer Stephen training in setting up monitoring traps for mosquito surveillance.
Outdoor photograph of a STRIVE clinic location.
STRIVE’s sentinel site in Sausi in Madang Province, one of eight clinics within the STRIVE sentinel site network.
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Project aims

  • Aim 1: embedded sustainable capacity and systems for integrated sentinel surveillance.
  • Aim 2: consolidated genomic and serological laboratory surveillance capabilities.
  • Aim 3: embedded vector surveillance and response capacity within sub-national health teams.
  • Aim 4: strengthened health systems supports, enabling effective surveillance and use of data for decision-making.
  • Aim 5: strengthened partnerships and empowered local researchers, partners, and organisations.
  • Aim 6: One Health approach integrated into surveillance and molecular diagnostic frameworks.
  • Aim 7: assess climate change’s impact on vector-borne diseases, health systems, and livelihoods.
  • Aim 8: increase accessibility and utilization of gender equity, disability, and social inclusion data to inform national activities and policies.
Typaia platform showing a data readout and map.
Tupaia

STRIVE has adopted the Tupaia platform to link and visualise illness data with diagnostic test results, parasite genomic data, mosquito abundance, insecticide resistance data and available resources for outbreak response (including diagnostic and treatment consumables). This aims to strengthen Papua New Guinea's vector-borne disease surveillance and outbreak response.

Key achievements

In phase 1 of the project, Burnet and Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR) partnered with Papua New Guinea-based organisations and Australia-based organisations to identify barriers to malaria data collection, establish ongoing monitoring processes, rapidly identify new outbreaks, and support government and health workers in data-based decision making.

  • We worked together with local teams to increase their ability to trap, monitor, and analyse mosquito populations, including their resistance to insecticides.
  • We adopted a tool called Tupaia to visualise VBD data from 8 sentinel sites (clinics) across PNG. This tool allows for real-time surveillance and response to outbreaks.
  • We improved our laboratories’ ability to test for diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, zika, Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus and COVID-19. We also monitor if these diseases are becoming resistant to treatments.
  • We assessed how health workers use surveillance data and worked out what makes it difficult for them to access and use this information.
  • We started using mSupply to better manage and track our medical supplies.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted our operations so that we could measure antibodies for COVID-19 and help guide the response in Papua New Guinea.

In phase 2 of the project, we aim to use what we have learned in phase 1 to expand on existing activities in Papua New Guinea and to also share knowledge with partners in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Learn more about STRIVE

Tamarah Koleala at PNGIMR.

The STRIVE Molecular Hub team talks about their research and capacity building.

Partners

Funding partners

2018-2023: Supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security.

2024-2028: Supported by the Australian Government through the Partnerships for a Health Region Initiative.

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Collaborators

  • Implementation lead: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR)
  • Papua New Guinea Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL)    
  • Papua New Guinea National Department of Health (NDoH)  
  • The University of Papua New Guinea School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS)
  • The National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA)
  • Vanuatu Ministry of Health (VMoH)   
  • Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services (SI MHMS)
  • Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI)
  • Menzies Institute   
  • Deakin University  
  • Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM) at James Cook University
  • CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP)   
  • Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute (ADFMIDI)   
  • Beyond Essential Systems (Tupaia)    
  • Doherty Institute  
  • The University of Melbourne  
  • Trilateral Malaria Project (TMP)

Project contacts

Main contact

Professor Leanne Robinson

Professor Leanne Robinson

Program Director, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness; Senior Principal Research Fellow, Group Leader, Vector-Borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health
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Project team

Professor Leanne Robinson

Professor Leanne Robinson

Program Director, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness; Senior Principal Research Fellow, Group Leader, Vector-Borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health
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Dr Fiona Angrisano

Dr Fiona Angrisano

Deputy Working Group Head, Vector-borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health; Transmission Biology Team Lead
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Rachael Farquhar

Rachael Farquhar

International Research Project Officer, Project Manager
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Sam McEwen

Sam McEwen

Epidemiology and Surveillance Research Officer
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Rebecca Narokobi

Rebecca Narokobi

Senior Molecular Scientist
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Alexa Murray

Alexa Murray

Senior Research Officer & Project Manager
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Marina Bishop

Marina Bishop

Senior Project Officer
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Stephanie Routley

Stephanie Routley

Research Officer
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Professor Alyssa Barry

Professor Alyssa Barry

Honorary Principal Research Fellow
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Dulcie  Lautu-Gumal

Dulcie Lautu-Gumal

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Professor Freya J.I. Fowkes

Professor Freya J.I. Fowkes

Deputy Program Director, Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health; Head, Malaria and Infectious Disease Epidemiology
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Associate Professor Nick Scott

Associate Professor Nick Scott

Head, Modelling and Biostatistics
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Annie Dori

Annie Dori

Senior Partnership Manager
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Lauren Walduck

Lauren Walduck

Research Assistant
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Dr Thi Nguyen

Dr Thi Nguyen

Data Scientist
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